BEHIND THE DESIGN
MAHARISHI BY YOU
Established in 1994, UK streetwear brand maharishi has been on top of utilitarian style trends for well over two decades. The brand’s Founder and Creative Director, Hardy Blechman, literally wrote the 944-page book on disruptive pattern material (a.k.a. camouflage), one of the most recognizable elements in today’s streetwear landscape. In their customizable collaboration with Nike by You—featuring the AF1 High, AF1 Low and Air Max 270 Bowfin—maharishi’s deep knowledge of military utility is on full display.
The canvas for any utilitarian collection is often actual canvas, but in this case, maharishi pulled together a different set of materials. Inspired by WWII-era military tour jackets, the AF1 High lets you pick from leather, wool or your own combination of the two. The AF1 Low and Air Max 270 Bowfin boast a lightweight, breathable ripstop fabric chosen for its high strength-to-weight ratio and tear-resistant properties. Each is a page straight from the utility book.
Front and center in the collection are the redacted camouflage patterns. Although the earliest versions of camouflage patterns were symbols of nature and art, today they’re inseparable from the context of militarization. Maharishi’s choice to include redactions represents the vast amount of information that is both taken and withheld from us. The collection features an original, unredacted “Bonsai Forest” pattern as well, which brings camouflage full circle to its original purpose: celebrating the natural world.
The maharishi by You collaboration is fully customizable and available exclusively with Nike by You.
